Black and Blue
by ButterMyButtAndCallMeABiscuit
Summary: The bureau was all too much for Reid and Prentiss' relationship to survive; especially when their relationship evolved into a marriage. Tragedy befalling them, can my OTP *cough cough* Prentiss and Reid beat the odds? Spemily...what else, guys. M Rated...once again, not surprising.


_bring wine, mi alma gemella_

Reid sighs, reading the text and shaking his head.

_passed the liquor store. youre out of luck..._

_not if i have a very, very, very loving husband who's willing to turn around..._

_être là dans une seconde, mon amant_

_Je vous l'ai dit, l'enseignement des œuvres françaises lorsque vous êtes nu!_

Reid blushes and turns the car around, dashing into the liquor store and dashing back out after buying a bottle of wine. As much as they needed to talk, he was already thinking about her peaches and cream skin, her hot mouth, her angelic voice screaming his name as he takes her farther, farther...

He shakes his head quickly. Tonight was not a date. This was not for fucking. This was to talk.

_Was it a mistake?_

Reid bites his lip. Was it a mistake to marry her? She loved him, he loved her, but their jobs were at stake. Prentiss could care less about the gory details, but Reid wanted a wedding, and he had insisted on waiting, on waiting until they could work everything out. But, she said no, she said she wanted it, on paper, that she was Mrs. Spencer Reid, right then, right now.

And who was he to say no?

xXxXx

"Emily, I think you're stalling..." Reid shakes his head.

"I'm not sober enough to discuss this. There isn't anything to discuss, really!" She groans, pouring another glass of champagne.

Reid shakes his head."There is! If push came to shove, we were out in the field...the unsub was on the run. This was our last chance to get him before he was gone forever. I was bleeding hard on the ground, and you had to choose."

"Don't say that to me," she whispers.

"What would you do?" He snaps.

Prentiss nearly screams,"Stop it! Stop that!"

"You would let that sick murderer run free, kill more innocent people, just to save me, right? Right?!"

"Yes!" She shouts."And what do you see wrong with that?!"

"Everything!" He roars.

Prentiss sits on the couch."Then what should we do?" She tears up.

"I'll quit," Reid murmurs.

"No!"

"Well, you're not!" He snaps.

Prentiss sighs."God, Spence...I love you."

"I love you too..."

"I love you, so much, so much, so, so, so much."

Reid smiles."I love you too, Emily. Look...let's take a shower."

"A bath," Prentiss says, her eyes pleading, but her tone leaving no room for much debate.

Reid nods."A bath."

xXxXx

"I'm sorry for yelling at you like that," Reid murmurs, burying his nose into the hair he had washed earlier.

"I am, too." Prentiss says, turning around to face him.

"Every time you say it to me, every time you say you love me, I remember that nothing else matters," he whispers."And you know just when to say it."

"Because I know how you feel, when you feel it," she cups both of his cheeks in both of her hands.

Reid leans his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. She closes hers, as well, as he puts his lips to hers in a closed-mouth kiss, then parts his lips in fervor. He slides his tongue into her mouth, making a gush of wetness slip into her panties. He ravishes her mouth, grabbing her hair. When he pulls back, she whimpers and pulls him closer, needing him.

"And I know that right now, you want me," she breathes after finally pulling away.

"I do," he whispers, his eyes almost black with lust. Reid pushes her on her back, then moves down her body, making her squirm and squiggle as he took her panties off.

"W-wait," she whines."Sp-Spencer, you have to wait, I'm so close, I can't-"

"Just stay still," he mumbles. He pushes on her clit with his tongue, circling lightly.

"S-Spencer! I'm gonna come, I'm gonna come," she squeals."Je suis si proche, si proche, Spencer, oh mon Dieu!"

She orgasms hard, less than a minute after he started, covering her sheets and his face and hands with her juices. When she comes down from her high, she blushes furiously."S-sorry! I'll..."

"No, Em, it's fine..." he laughs nervously. She ignores him, grabbing a handful of tissues from her bedside. She frantically cleans his face.

"I'm super duper sorry, Spence. I didn't mean to do that," she blurts."I usually don't orgasm that quick, I was just..."

"Emily, calm down. We have all night." He smiles warmly, throwing the tissues to the side of her bed.

"O-oh. That's right," she murmurs, as if she didn't know that before."Then...can you do that again?"

Reid grins and kisses the inside of her thigh, then leaves a love bite on the flesh."Mmm, baby, you taste so sweet..."

"P-please. Lick me, suck me, taste me, please!" Her hips lift off of the bed.

Reid buries his face in between her legs, shoving his tongue into her entrance.

"Oh-mmm-Jesus!" She squeals."Ohh, baby, you're so good at this!"

He strokes her heat with his tongue, moaning into her thighs.

"F-fuck!" She groans."Speeence!"

"That's right, Em, come for me, come, Emily," he whispers, and she wraps her thighs around his head.

"_Spencer!_"

xXxXx

Prentiss had plopped back down on the bed after Reid had whispered in ear that he was going home to get some clothes so they could go for breakfast; she was exhausted anyway. She pulls on Spencer's favorite boy-shorts of hers and a tanktop, then crawls back into bed, hoping she could get him to take his clothes off faster than he put them on.

She had gotten so used to putting her wedding ring in her pocket and hiding it that she rarely put it on when she was at home, but today, it was on her finger. When he had proposed to her, the last thing he thought would happen was that she would ask to go get married right that second, and, honestly, it was the last thing she would think of, too. But she wanted to break those chains that was her job. She wanted to show him that their love was all that mattered.

_All that mattered. All that matters._

She sighs and closes her eyes again, her hand sliding down her body until it reaches her center. She begins to circle her clit with her finger before a knock was at the door.

"Em? It's JJ!"

Prentiss gasps and takes her hand out of her boy-shorts."C-coming!" She stalks to the door and opens the door, clearing her throat awkwardly."Hi."

"Hey." JJ smiles."What's up?"

"Nothing much, um..."

JJ's jaw drops as she glances at Emily's hand."Ohhh myyyy Gooood. That ring is gorgeous!"

"What ring?" Prentiss says quickly."I don't have a ring on."

"That big thing?!" JJ blinks."It's...huge! So stunning!"

"Well, I'm sort of bu-"

JJ pushes past Emily, pulling her to sit and looking at her ring."How many carats is this?!"

"T-three," Emily murmurs. Prentiss had insisted that Reid get a smaller one and asked how much it costed, but he was stubborn as a mule, claiming "the best deserves the best" and "price tags are just like any other piece of paper", which sort of made her think of making a reference to his degrees.

"Three carats?! Jesus, Emily, that's like twenty-five thousand dollars for one that smells like sewage! Who got this?"

"A f-friend..."

"It looks like a wedding ring, really," JJ mumbles."Like, a wedding ring."

"It's not!" Emily snaps."It's...it's..."

JJ gasps."You can't possibly be married, right? That's ridiculous, I don't know what's wrong with me."

"I am." Prentiss says meekly."I'm married."

JJ scoffs."Stop kidding, Em. Oh, wait, you're not. Lemme guess, Channing Tatum showed up to your door and swept you off your feet? Oh, no, wait, Christopher Meloni, right!?" JJ starts to cackle wildly.

Prentiss takes her ring off, placing it into JJ's hands. The blonde snorts and takes a closer look at it, noticing the words engraved in it. And, right there, it read "Forever and always. ~Spencer".

JJ gulps."So, uh, who's this Spencer guy?"

"Just stop, JJ," Emily whispers.

"I...how could you have a wedding and we didn't know?" JJ's lip quivers."You...how could you?"

"We didn't have a wedding..."

JJ sniffs, on the verge of tears."Then...what happened?"

xXxXx

_"This hot tub is like heaven," Reid murmurs. Prentiss could hear him rustling, but she had her eyes closed, the giggly high from the wine simmering into drowsiness._

_"How did you manage to get a suite with a hot tub in it? You can't keep paying this much for me, Spencer..."_

_Reid shakes his head, all though her eyes were closed."I don't want you mentioning money or budgets or anything of the sort for the rest of the time we are here, and I mean it!"_

_"Spencer," she whines, opening her eyes."That's not fair. At least let me-"_

_"I'm not letting you pay for anything, it's settled," Reid smiles._

_"Well, I can at least give you something..." She purrs, crossing the water to rest in his lap._

_"Em," Reid cups her cheeks in his hands."Everything I do for you, I do because I want to, and you don't have to repay me..."_

_"I know that. I like pleasing you, just like you like pleasing me," she whispers, taking his hands and placing it on her breasts."Touch me?"_

_Reid kneads them gingerly, making her gasp and jerk against his hard-on. He grits his teeth."Emily!"_

_She pants,"Harder. H-harder!"_

_Reid nods and pinches her nipples, pulling gently._

_"Mmmm ohhh, yeaaaah..." She whimpers._

_"Wait, no, no, no," Reid growls."Stop."_

_Prentiss gives him a look like daggers, then says,"What? What?!"_

_"Just wait!"_

_Prentiss shuts up at the tone of his voice. Reid looks her in the eyes, searching. Finally, he says,"Get off."_

_"H-huh?" She climbs off of him."What's wrong?"_

_Reid gets out of the tub, pacing."I can't do this, I can't!"_

_"Spencer, what's wrong? Are you...okay?!"_

_"I want to-I want to-I want to marry you, but, I don't know how to ask." Reid blushes._

_"O-oh." She whispers._

_Reid shifts."And I know it's...sudden, and this is the wrong timing, but I got you this really nice ring. At least, I think it's nice. I really don't know. I guess I'm supposed to be on one knee, I don't know, I think I am, but do I have to? I hit my knee the other day. But that was the right one, my left one is fine, but don't guys usually propose on their right knee? Just tell me what to do!"_

_Prentiss bites her lip."I don't know what to do either..."_

xXxXx

"And then eventually, I just said that I wanted the same. And the next day we went to the courthouse and..."

"Wait, so you didn't have a wedding?! Like, the big dream wedding every girl wants?! You're crazy!" JJ gapes.

Prentiss shrugs."That's what Spencer said. He said he wanted something big and expensive, but I said no."

"You could probably fund ten weddings if you pawned that ring!" JJ nods slowly.

Prentiss blushes."Can we stop talking about this ring? I told him I didn't need this huge thing."

"Oh, Em," JJ smiles."I'm so happy for you. But can you please plan some kind of wedding or something? I'll die if you don't."

"I...I know you will," Prentiss laughs weakly."But y'know-"

JJ groans."Please, not the 'he spends too much money on me' thing. That's bullshit."

"But I'm not the type of girl to let a man spend so much on me, JJ. I mean, half of the stuff in here he's bought. Every single chance he gets he'll buy me something and I hate it. But I like it, too, but...God, JJ, have you looked at Sergio's studded leather collar?!"

JJ glances at the cat stretched in the sunlight."That's a nice collar."

"And he hates cats! He despises Sergio!"

"And, with your loud mouth and stubbornness, I'm pretty sure you bought that to him..."

"Hell yeah, I did! He spewed some bullshit about how 'if my wife loves her cat then I love it too'. Ugh! And he said he likes independent women!"

JJ shrugs."You are an independent woman, I guess."

"But how?! He's buying me all of this stuff."

"But _when_?" JJ puts her chin in her hands.

"Whenever, I guess."

"But is there something you say that makes him think 'hey, I wanna buy you a country'?"

Prentiss shrugs."Usually when..."

JJ nods, silently telling her to go on.

Prentiss blinks twice."Oh, Spencer."

"What?"

Prentiss sighs."You better get out of here before Spencer gets back, JJ."

xXxXx

"Emily? Sweetie?" Reid calls, looking throughout the brownstone for his wife.

Venturing into the kitchen, he peeks around the corner, and before he could finish looking, he heard from behind him,"I want to talk about our jobs."

Reid jumps and turns."Hey, honey. Ready to get a bite to eat?"

"I want to talk."

"Well, ah, let's get some food first, huh?" He smiles warmly.

"No."

Reid grins."Did you know that this lovely painting is up for sale from a friend of mine? It would look lovely in the dining room."

"I'll buy it," she says bluntly.

"What?! No, no, no. It's not even that much, I'll pick it up!" Reid smiles.

"Oh, well I guess you wouldn't mind me asking how much it would cost, then."

"Doesn't matter."

"It does."

"Not really."

"It does."

"You're pushy today."

"Does your friend work around Baltimore?"

"Ye-"

"The painting is going for a couple hundred thousand, isn't it?"

"Well maybe a little le-"

"Why are we still playing this game?"

Reid stills."What game, honey?"

"Every time something comes up about work that makes you feel bad, you buy me gifts and lavish me with things...that I don't need, by the way. Why do you do that? Are you trying to compensate for problems that don't really bother me in the first place?" Prentiss says toughly, standing her ground.

Reid blushes."No, that's not it..."

"Then what?"

"I dunno. I just don't really know what else to do to keep you happy," Reid plops down in a chair, chin in hands."I mean, it seems like so much, sneaking around at work and acting like we're not in love, and not being able to show off your ring and all of that. What girl wants to stick around for that?"

"Me, Spencer, me." She whispers."I do."

"But what if you leave?" He murmurs."Not only am I scrawny and sexually unattractive, but our relationship is not like other ones you've had. You can't go to all of your friends and brag about...erm, whatever about me you can find to brag about. Why else would you stay? So I buy you everything you want and run myself ragged making sure you get everything you've ever dreamed of."

Prentiss sighs, sitting next to him."Don't say anymore, Spencer. Don't ever think like that again."

Reid gives a one-shouldered shrug and turns his head away."I guess..."

"Hey. Listen to me," Prentiss says."Just listen. None of the material things matter, none of the specifics matter. Do you love me?"

"More than anything."

"And I love you too. And that's all that matters. Just like you told me. That's all that matters."

Reid licks his lips."You really love me?"

"Yes, Spencer Reid. I love you." Prentiss, making her point, leans forward, capturing her lover's lips. She sucks on them, moaning. She strategically and silently places her hand on the tent in his trousers, making him gasp and pull away.

"E-Emily!" He squeaks."What are you doing?"

"Shh...I want to suck you," Prentiss murmurs."I want you to come in my mouth, Spencer."

Reid gulps."Oh...I love it when you talk to me like that."

"You want me to suck you off, baby? You like being deep in my throat?" She pants, frantically kissing his neck.

"Oh, God, Em, keep talking," he groans.

"Mm, you want me to take all of you until I gag?" She nips his ear lobe."You want me to choke on your big cock, Spence?"

Reid throws his head back."Oh, oui, oui, me faire du bien, mon amour..."

She purrs,"Vous le voulez? Vous voulez être dans ma bouche chaude?"

And soon enough, he had pushed her on her knees in front of him, taking her by her hair. His act of dominance surprised her, and she gasped, looking up at him in utter shock.

"No more games, Emily," he says huskily.

Nodding, she unzips his trousers, completely submissive. When his erect shaft springs out, she immediately deep throats him, and he grabs her hair and moves her head up and down on his cock. She moans into him, his dominance making her wet. He lets go of her hair, and instead thrusts into her mouth, making her whimper in pleasure.

"Fuck, baby, I love your hot mouth," Reid breathes.

And, just as soon as his semen shot into her mouth, two rowdy blondes burst into the door.

"Em, we-" JJ starts, but stopped in her tracks when she saw the two lovers struggling to get themselves together.

"Oh, JJ, we were-his zipper was stuck-" Prentiss tries, stuttering.

"Goodness gracious, please put that inside of me," Garcia gapes, staring at Spencer's shaft in fervor.

"No! No, he is not putting _anything_ inside of you!" Prentiss hisses.

"That's niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice," JJ mumbles.

Reid smiles shyly,"Thanks. No Ron Jeremy pills or anything, just nature." After catching a look from Prentiss, Reid quickly tucks his cock away in his pants."But, really, my zipper was stuck."

JJ shakes her head."The jig is up, and you two are going on a honeymoon!"

Reid chuckles nervously."Honeymoon?! Why would we do that? We're not married!"

JJ rolls her eyes."Give it up, Spencer! Emily told us!"

Prentiss frowns."Where are we supposed to be going, anyway...?"

"Jamaicaaaa!" Garcia squeals.

xXxXx

Prentiss felt refreshed, happy, and soothed...and yet she was chasing an unsub through a mall. Maybe it was because she had had ample time to rest after getting back from Jamaica, or maybe because Spencer was running next to her, rambling about the case even though she knew everything already.

"Two plane tickets to New Zealand," Reid says, barely breaking a sweat. Prentiss felt out-of-shape."One for the unsub, and one for Lillian. Both under fake names."

"I'm...guessing...we don't...have many...chances," Prentiss says, heaving.

"We don't have any," Reid says."Now or never."

Prentiss nods, searching for the unsub."Fuck! I lost him!"

"He's headed in the direction of Lord and Taylor," Reid says, noticing the figure dashing up the escalator.

"I'm so fat," Prentiss sighs.

"No. You're perfect, Em," Reid smiles."Let's get this done, huh?"

Prentiss couldn't even remember what happened next. One minute she was radioing Hotch and Morgan and the next Spencer was on the ground. The unsub was smart; his vest wasn't hit, but the bullet hit his neck spot-on.

"Jesus!" Reid gasped, his back arching."Fuck!"

"Oh, God!" Prentiss shrieks."Spencer!"

Prentiss watched in terror as the unsub ran away, little girl in his arms.

"Go, Emily," Reid rasps."I'm fine!"

_"If push came to shove, we were out in the field...the unsub was on the run. This was our last chance to get him before he was gone forever. I was bleeding hard on the ground, and you had to choose."_

"Spencer, there's so much blood! Why is there so much blood?!"

_"Don't say that to me."_

"Emily, he'll get away!"

_"What would you do? Y__ou would let that sick murderer run free, kill more innocent people, just to save me, right? Right?!"_

"Why did you say that? This wouldn't have happened if you had just been quiet!"

Prentiss hears Hotch roaring through her radio, shouting commands. She wasn't paying attention at all, but she knew he was telling her to leave Reid. His eyes were closing fast.

"Stop, stop, no!" Prentiss shakes him, then strips herself of her vest and takes off her shirt, leaving a tank top and bra underneath. She puts it over the wound, but the shirt immediately soaks."Fuck!" She had been in this situation so many times, but never with her lover, her husband beneath her. The only thing she could think was that she could never have enough training, never build enough emotional walls to be able to handle this.

xXxXx

"Emily, you're having a nervous breakdown or something," Garcia whimpers, worried for her brunette friend.

Prentiss didn't respond. Her hands were shaking, as well as her whole body. She hated hospitals and her hands were not clean. Every time she looked down she saw his blood. If not that, when she looked down she saw the little girl's lifeless body in her hands. She felt bad because she was hungry and was sort of thinking of JJ's pizza instead of Spencer. She felt bad because she had given in when Spencer begged her to go back to work with him the day after they got back. She felt bad because she was complaining about her weight and figure while he was taking his might-be last breath and being so cheerful as always.

"Spencer's dead. He's dead, isn't he?" Prentiss says, after being completely mute for the past hour.

"No, Em. He's alive," JJ says, holding her hand tight.

"So he'll be fine?"

Garcia says quickly,"Of course he wi-"

"He..." JJ gulps. She couldn't lie to Emily. She deserved to know everything."He's in critical condition. He's not stable."

"I wish it was me." Prentiss whispers."I should be in there. He didn't deserve this, at all."

"Em!" Garcia squeaks."Don't say that!"

Prentiss shouts,"It's true! He's never did anything wrong in his life and he never could, yet he gets this! Serial killers and murderers and psychopaths get to go free because some lab tech lied on his resume, and-and sick, careless surgeons get to prance around and slice people open as they please because malpractice isn't illegal, but Spencer, sweet, thoughtful, beautiful Spencer, _my_ Spencer, is probably never going to tell me he loves me again!"

JJ and Garcia were quiet as church-mice, and didn't say a peep for a while. Finally, Garcia says meekly,"I hate that...that everything you said is true. I hate that you can say that and be right."

The other blonde just quietly shrugs, shaking her head.

"If he dies..." Garcia starts, shedding a tear.

"No, no, no, no, no, stop it!" JJ snaps."Stop saying that!"

Garcia continues,"If he dies, Emily, it's not your fault. And...we're all here."

"But he won't be." Emily says, voice cracking."He won't be here."

xXxXx

"Emily? Sweetie? Spencer woke up!" Somebody was talking to her, and she didn't know if it was JJ or Garcia. She raises an eyebrow with her eyes closed.

Prentiss opens her eyes."No...really?" She rasps.

"Yeah! He's really tired, and they sedated him because of his head. He hit himself on the way down, so he's sleeping."

"He's okay?"

"We're not quite there yet, but...he's talking. And bitter."

"Ohhhh. Who are you?" Prentiss hated this chair in the waiting room, but hot coals would be a good resting place for her kind of tired.

"It's Derek."

"Ohhhh," she says, repeating the sound she made."Mmm, well I'm goin' back to sleep."

"I'll take you home," he chuckles.

Prentiss shakes her head."Mm-mm. Fine here."

Morgan picks her up, bridal-style."Nope, baby girl, you're going home." He slings her purse over his shoulder, grabbing her water bottle. She falls back asleep in his arms, snoring lightly. She was mumbling again by the time they were at his car.

"Moooooorgaaaan?"

"Yeah?" He sighs, resting her in the passenger seat.

"You sound like a lady."

"You sound like someone who wants to get put back in that chair." He grumbles.

Prentiss sighs."It feels weird when you carry me."

He raises an eyebrow, going around into the driver's seat."How?"

"When Spencer carries me or holds me it's like...I'm flying. Or floating, or gliding..." She says, her eyes open. She was sitting up now, and was obviously past sleep talk.

"I'm scared to ask what it's like when I-"

"Lifting weights."

"I saw it coming."

Prentiss laughs wryly."He doesn't workout or anything."

Morgan snorts."Really? Naw! He probably lifts houses for his regimen!"

"Okay, that was a bit obvious," she smiles."But, y'know, he's...perfect, sort of. Not even sort of. He's...everything."

"All that and a bag of chips, huh?" Morgan laughs.

"But...he's my perfect." Prentiss shifts."You're, like, a whole bunch of girls' perfect. And some guys, too, probably."

Derek narrows his eyes at Emily."I wonder how many lesbos wanna get with you. I don't look even relatively gay."

"We're not talking about this. What I'm saying is, you're...intelligent _enough_, good-looking, well-built, you have good morals, you have a...good job, I guess. Ladies are drooling over you...and your massive abs."

"Those too."

"And, yeah, I guess, you're okay." She shrugs."You're a really nice guy...for somebody else. Like Garcia. Who's waiting...but...Spencer is just..."

Morgan holds a hand up."I...can not...understand this. Tell me, exactly, what the hell is so great about this kid. Is he God or something?"

"Could be. I don't know. I don't even know what it is he's doing, but, he's got me," she sighs.

"Try. Try and explain." He throws his hands up."You turned _me_ down, which is fine, but saying you'd take Pretty Boy? That's...no offense, and I should not speak bad of the ill, but that is insulting."

"You must think you're greaaaaat. That's...that." Prentiss rolls her eyes."But...he's just so sweet. He'll bring me flowers, and I'll ask why, and he'll say 'because it's Thursday', or just cook for me and hold me and do all the things that make me miss him so much whenever he gets up to pee."

Morgan looks at her blankly.

"And he's good in bed."

"Ohhhhhh, okayyyyyy." He turns and fixes his eyes on the road."Sounds about right."

Morgan pulls in front of her brownstone."You're pretty awake, now."

"Pretty much." She sighs.

He kisses her cheek."Try and eat a bit, okay?"

Prentiss nods."Alright. Th-thanks." She gets out of the car, unlocking her door. The house was still messy from her unpacking, which was actually just throwing things where they seemed to look nice. Nobody was here except for her and Spencer, and he would eventually just go behind her and clean.

That was all she could think about, was Spencer. Nothing else. She plops on the couch, and closes her eyes. When she opens them, it was daylight. She grabs a pillow and curls up into the fetal position. As soon as the thoughts started creeping back into her head, her phone rang. She digs it out of her purse and mumbles,"Hello?"

"Hey."

"S-Spencer?"

"Who else?"

Prentiss nearly cried, and all Reid could hear was quiet gasps for breath.

"Baby?" He laughs.

"I just thought I'd never hear you again, I..."

"Meaning?"

She sniffs."I don't know..."

"You're actually crying," he said, laughing softly.

"I thought you were gone."

"No, 'course not. I couldn't die peacefully knowing you thought you were fat."

Prentiss laughs."Thanks?"

Reid had a grin, she could hear it; she could feel it."Now, I'm a bit unclear on some things. It happened kinda quick, and all these meds have me confused. Can you start by telling me what day of the week it is?"

"It's Tuesday, love."

"Tuesday, okay. And it was Sunday when we were in the mall."

"You got shot, in the neck."

"No, really? I can't tell. But seriously, I can't tell with all this stuff they got me on. I'll be fine, though, enough about me. Have you been taking care of yourself?"

Prentiss shrugs."I haven't eaten, or slept. I just want to be near you, close to you."

"I know, my sweet girl." He laughs.

"You know all, right?"

"Not all, just most," Reid says pointedly."And I ha-"

Prentiss scoffs,"You hate when we say you know everything, you're right, I'm sorry."

"Thank you. So, um, I wanted to have a quick word for you before Helga comes back with my medicine," he says, making Emily confused.

"Helga? Your nurse's name is Lana."

"She looks like a Helga," Reid says, sounding utterly serious."I'm going to continue to call her that."

"...Right. So, yeah, you wanted to have a 'quick word'?"

He hums,"Might not be as quick as I want it to be. Helga might have to wait for the honor of seeing me in this position."

"You're delaying the topic."

"No inter-team profiling."

"I'm not talking to my partner in the BAU, I'm talking to my partner for life, and there's a big difference."

Reid turns silent.

"So at least drop a fucking hint."

Still silent.

"Hellooooo?"

"...it was a lot easier working there without you. And not even 'without' you, before we had...become so close, I mean. In more ways than one." He sighs sharply."Because there was nothing on the line. If something happened to me...sure, the team would care, my mother would if she knew what was going on. But there was nobody who would...feel it like you would. I would probably be just another casualty to anybody else, but not you. You understand?"

"Yes," she says quietly."I do." At least, she thought she did.

"And...I don't think this is gonna work out. Not me and you, oh, God, no, just...not in the BAU."

"I-okay."

"So, when Hotch came by, I asked him to bring some resignation papers."

Prentiss stills."R-re-resignation papers?"

"Yes."

"You don't have to do that, it's alright," she breathes."Just don't sign them. We can..."

"I can't do that, we can't do that. I've already signed them and gave them to Hotch, and he's already turned them in."

Prentiss felt angry for a split second, then thought about what she was angry about. She was angry...because Reid made a decision for himself, about his job, that wasn't even affecting her. She felt stupid. But they were married! He should have came to her, but he didn't, but he's a grown man-

"Honey?"

"I...don't have anything to say." She says, voice cracking."I'm...I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"You loved this job. And I...I messed it up, didn't I?" She says, tears flying down her face.

"No, no, Emily, it's not like that!" Reid says, almost laughing."You wanna know what this reminds me of?"

Prentiss' eyebrows furrowed."What?"

"When Henry was playing with my Jack-in-the-Box, and it popped out and he started screaming,'I broke it, I broke it!' That's what you sound like, right now," he says, now laughing hysterically.

"God damn it, Spencer. Tell the hospital they can keep you."

"Hell no!" He scoffs."Especially not with-"

"_Is medicine time!_"

"Oh, God." Reid scowls.

"_No phone until eleven!_"

"Okay, don't get yourself in trouble," Prentiss smiles."Is medicine time, now! Phone later!"

"It's ten fifty-one, is she fucking serious?" Reid groans."And I want food!"

"You sound like shit," Prentiss says honestly."I think you should stick to soup for now, serious."

"Well, Garcia is bringing me a Cinnabon later anyway. And JJ's bringing me some lasagna, and Rossi is-"

"Spencer!" Prentiss says, alarmed."Not for some weeks, at least!"

"Is medicine time now," Reid whispers."Debate later."

_Click._

xXxXx

"Darn it," Prentiss whispers. Her finger was bleeding, again.

JJ shakes her head."When Henry was smaller, we had to put mittens on his hands so he wouldn't scratch so much, maybe if we give you some, you won't bite all the time!"

"It's a tic," Prentiss shrugs."It's as normal to me as breathing."

"You should break that," Garcia says pointedly.

"I know, Garcia, my mother tried," Prentiss grunts. The diner was crowded and loud and she hated crowds and loudness. She thought food would be a good excuse to get out of that awful hospital, but this was just as bad, if not worse. She wasn't even hungry.

Garcia says, trying to sound serious but still smirking,"I think we need to address the elephant in the room."

"Which is...?" JJ says, leaning forward and putting her hand in her chin.

"Me and JJ have seen Spencer's penis, Emily, and I don't think I can exactly erase it," Garcia says slowly.

"Um..." Prentiss says, shifting.

"And such a nice one, too," Pen whispers.

Prentiss makes an attempt to laugh, but it just sounds like a pitiful noise. She was getting there.

xXxXx

"Got something for you," Reid grins. Prentiss rolls her eyes as he pulls flowers from behind his back. She takes them, smiling.

"How did you get these?"

"I'll do anything to see that smile. Including getting JJ to get these."

She kisses his cheek."They smell great. Thank you."

"No problem. Please don't tell me you-"

"Kitchen, living room, bedroom, clean. And your bookshelf," she adds.

Reid frowns noticeably."Why?"

"Because I couldn't stand the dust!" She squeals."There was so much! And it was there before you were hospitalized."

Reid rolls his eyes."Yeah, because your house belongs in a magazine."

Prentiss laughs."So, you might be discharged tomorrow."

"Great!" He grins widely."Straight to-"

"Bed." She says firmly.

"That's what I was gonna say," he winks.

She shakes her head, smiling."To sleep!"

"My neck feels fine. I didn't lose all the blood you thought I did."

"I didn't think you lost much. Just all of it," she shrugs nonchalantly.

"Yeah, that's not a high estimate. Anyway, is there any kind of hope that Hotch might be oblivious to...us?" Reid says, taking a sip of the water he actually hated the taste of.

Prentiss nods, then shakes her head, then shrugs."I don't know. They've been asking me to sign papers as your next of kin, but he's never seen me."

"Doesn't matter now, though," Reid shrugs.

She pouts."It should."

He laughs, running his thumb over her lips. She kisses the digit, and he pulls back."Don't pout," he says softly."And don't frown. It doesn't match a beautiful face."

"Your wish is my command." She says, smiling again.

"There, right there. Like that," he says, taking her hands."Do that, every day for me. You're so beautiful."

"You've been getting calls," she smirks.

"From who?"

"Everybody on the damn planet, Spencer! Ever since word has gotten out you're not with the bureau, everybody wants you to fuckin' work for them." Emily rolls her eyes.

Reid shrugs."I got numerous job offers while in the bureau, but didn't accept them. I loved that job."

"I know," she says softly. Spencer could tell she was feeling bad about him quitting again.

"But not more than I love you," he smiles reassuringly."And it's not like I'll never see everyone again."

"I know," she repeats."I know. Cold case has taken up a particular interest in you."

"Really?"

"The chief has called seven times in the past day, Spence." She grins, kissing his cheek.

"I might take him up," Reid says, his lips pouting in thought.

Prentiss cocks her head."You didn't even hear any of the other voicemails."

"No...I'm actually definite on my decision. I'll work there if they'll have me."

"'If'? You're hilarious. Seven times doesn't say 'if', it says 'we're willing to kidnap you and make you work for us'," she laughs.

Reid laughs along with her, and he looked happy, she noticed. So happy. She voices her thoughts, and he shrugs."Have to be. I'd rather not drown in my despair."

Prentiss looks at the ceiling, as if her reply was there. She simply says,"Looks are deceiving."

"That was a question undercover. Yes, Emily, I am really happy."

She looks at him carefully, studying his eyes and his face. His lips twitched, trying not to crack a smile.

"You're so goofy," she rolls her eyes, and he bursts into laughter.

xXxXx

"Nine years. Three thousand, two hundred and eighty-seven point one seven nine days. Seventy-eight thousand, eight hundred eighty-eight hours."

Prentiss tilts her head back. She sat in between his long legs on the bed, both of them stretching out their feet. She looks at her husband, and noticed that he was staring straight ahead. She had turned on some stupid reality show where people made fools of themselves, just to fill the silence. Reid hadn't spoken a word since he returned from work. Reid had adjusted quite well, but that was all he spoke of the Cold Case unit.

He seemed interested in the cases Prentiss worked on, but when she asked how work went for him that day, it would be a vague "okay" or "normal" or "mediocre". She worried about him, so she began asking what kind of cases he had seen.

"I forgot."

That was the top, the peak of what kind of bullshit he could've said. And the fact that he said it let her know that he didn't want to talk about it, at all, in any sort of way, because they both knew that that was the last thing he would forget, even if he didn't remember everything he saw.

"He just went missing. It would..." He gulps."I don't know, it would've been...better, maybe? If he was dead? No, I don't mean it like that, I just...you know, they didn't know who had him or where he went, or if anybody had him at all, or if he tripped over a rock and fell into a ditch and met his bloody death."

Prentiss heard that tone of voice he had. He was too far gone, he was opening up the little folder shoved into the back of his head with all of the thoughts that would make him go crazy if they stayed there. So she listened and didn't talk.

"His wife...they had known each other since they were in diapers. Grew up, fell in love, got married. A year after they declared it a cold case, she was pregnant and married again. Just forgot. The kids they had, forgot. Didn't think about it. He went missing. He just flew away. Didn't matter," Reid said, voice cracking with emotion."He worked for the local police department, and they forgot about him."

Prentiss wanted to say something so bad. But she could tell he needed to just talk right now, so she stayed silent. Her mind was screaming, _I would never forget about you, never, never, ever! I would never let it go! I would never let your name end up in a cold case file, and I would find you and never ever ever lay eyes on anybody else..._

"Seventy-eight thousand, eight hundred eighty-eight hours." He whispered."Nine years, and this man was...forgotten. Nobody even remembered his name, but all of the people at that station were there nine years ago. 'Roscoe? Roscoe Barnes? Don't know him!' And then I just thought that that could've been me."

She knew it, she knew he would say that. He was thinking again, thinking too much.

"And that...the team would forget about me. The BAU team, the Cold Case team, I would be a casualty. 'Oh well, he disappeared, anybody know any hard workers?'"

Prentiss wanted to tackle him and hug him and cry with him, but she still stayed silent. She was _listening_ right now.

"Then I thought about you, and remembered that...I'm not Roscoe Barnes. And with you, proclaiming your love for me everyday, as if you would scream it from the top of every building in the tri-state area, I know that you would never, ever let anybody forget, Emily."

"They'd go missing if they did," Prentiss said silently."And I wouldn't have enough space for all of my ice cream with all the bodies in the freezer."

Reid blinks once or twice, then cracks a smile."Oh, Emily..."

"What? What did I say?" She says, laughing.

"I can't ever feel sad with you around threatening murder." He chuckles, falling back against the bed. She rolls over, throwing the cover over them.

"Pre-meditated murder," she says in a correcting tone."Let's see, JJ will fall off the bridge...er...on accident. Hotch 'spontaneously combusts'...after eating a nice dinner cooked by me. I'm so sweet. Murder? Me? No! Okay, now Morgan-"

Reid turns his light off, saying loudly,"Good night, Emily!"

She giggles, kissing his neck."What if I'm not tired yet?"

"Read a book."

Prentiss shoves him, growling.


End file.
